The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-07-14
Rudolph Falb's Earthquake Pre-
dictiOn.

To Rudolph Falb of Vienna belo nes
the honor of predicting earthquakes.
His first success was in 1873, when he
foretold the Belluno earthquake of
June rs; which shook almost all
Northern Italy and resulted in the
destruction OF some fifty lives. Since
then he has constantly issued seismic
predictions; some of which have been
fulfilled and some not. His warming
OF the recent Rivera disaster was q
conspicuous success, and has served
to give him a reputation which it is
the lot OF few modern prophets to en-.
Joy. Some days before the catastro-
phe he wrote to the Austrian papers,
pointing out that according to his
theory q critical period would be
reached shortly after midnight on the
! morning OF February 20; and true
enough, almost at the hour stated, the
first and most destructive shock took
place. 1t is not necessary to dwell on
the particulars OF that memorable
event. Probably no earthquake in
history ever produced so much nerv-
Gus disturbance in proportion
to the actual damage done, and GER.
tainly none can equal it in wealth of
humorous incident. AS an example
OF prophecy nntulflled it is worth
nothing that Falb is said to have al
ready predicted that an earthquake
would take place in the south of Eng
land on March 21; no seismic disturb.
ance was felt on that day, but an
amusing illustration of the iacopven.
ience arising from the previous fulfil
ment OF his forecasts was afforded by
q lady who, upon hearing OF the pre-.
diction OF q fresh earthquake for
March 21, dismantled her drawing.
room and carefully packed up china
and other ornaments in anticipation
of the event. The idea that the
moon should have something to do
with the production of earthquakes
is q very natural one. Tine body
whose attractive power raises the
ocean tides, exercises it's influence on
the dry land just as much as ON the
sea, and the only reason why the
land does not respond to the attrac-
tiOns is because of it's immobility.
But a force 50 resisted means internal
strain and there is every reason
to believe that corresponding to the
tide OF movement on the ocean, there
is tide of strain on the land. How
may this strain make itself apparent
A breath of autumn air brings down
the leaves that have withstood O.
summers gale, a swapping twig has
loosed the Alpine avalanche. The
crust OF our earth is not solid. There
are cavities and assures in its mass,
frail places where only touch, as it
were, may cause collapse; and the
series OF changes 80 begun may involve
a continent in ruin before it is ended.
And the tidal strain, as it passes reg:
ularly round the globe, may one day
supply just the needed touch, thus be-
coming an agent of destruction, none
the less potent because it only plays
the part Of trigger-puller. The theory
is plausible, and to certain extent
the researches OF Prof. Percy bear it
out. He found that earthquakes are
rather more frequent when the tidal
pull is stronghold is, when the sun
and moon are pulling in line Ia new or
full NOON, and when the moon is in
the part of her orbit nearest to the
earth (perigee). The difference, how.
ever, are only small, and as other in.
vestigators have arrived at contra.
dictory results, the lunar theory II,
this form has not held it's ground.